JCP CEO: Please don't close the Longmont, CO store!

Longmont, Colorado was the birthplace of James Cash Penney's first venture into what would lead to the JCPenney empire. I myself remember going to the JC Penney on 460 Main Street when I was young. (History here.)

All these years later, and after several years of fits and starts, Longmont finally has a "mall" — that has no clothing stores! We lost our only department store, Dillards, and many employees, with long job histories, lost their jobs when that store left town. Many of us never stopped being patrons of JCPenney, no matter what location it was at in Longmont. But with the mall department store closing, it was all the more important to us.

The employees at the Longmont JCPenney store are stellar: helpful, cheerful and always personable. They work hard and don't deserve to lose their jobs.

Closing the Longmont JCPenney would not only change the character of our community because we respect Longmont's history — it would also hurt our community!

We understand business decisions, especially in a struggling economy. But our community's economic health relies on the Longmont JCPenney store! And we couldn't see the decision moving forward without at least your hearing from us.